Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff will be handed a new deal at the club in order to fend off interest from those trying to sign him this summer, according to the Daily Star.
Manchester United are allegedly preparing to submit a bid for Longstaff, but the newspaper says that Newcastle will stand firm on their stance that the midfielder is not for sale, regardless of whether Rafael Benitez is at the club next season.
The Daily Star also claims that the 21-year-old, who only signed a new four-year deal in December, will have that contract thrown away and longer terms will instead be agreed in a bid to keep the midfielder at St James’ Park.
Longstaff, who only made his Premier League debut against Liverpool on Boxing Day last year, saw his stock rise impressively after a string of fantastic performances.
The midfielder was expected to receive his first England Under-21s call-up in March, but his season was cut short by injury.
OPINION
This is a very firm stance from Newcastle if the Daily Star’s report is true. Since making his debut against the Reds, Longstaff has continued to impress and it is a great shame that the injury cut his season short. Once he got some momentum behind him, Longstaff never looked back in a Newcastle shirt last season, with arguably his best performance coming when the Magpies defeated Manchester City 2-1 at the end of January. That is the game where everyone, including Three Lions Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd, began to really take notice. It is imperative that Newcastle keep hold of Longstaff this summer, since he is guaranteed regular football in the side next season. If he goes to one of the top six teams, there is a real chance Longstaff could become a bench player, which is not what he needs next season – he needs a proper spot in the Newcastle team next term.